Debra J. Umberson

Ph.D.,
Vanderbilt University

Professor

Contact

Biography

Debra Umberson is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin.

Professor Umberson's research focuses on social factors that influence population health with a particular emphasis on aging and life course change, marital and family ties, and gender and racial variation in health disparities. Her recent research, supported by a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Investigator in Health Policy Research Award and the National Institute on Aging, examines how marital relationships affect health-related behavior and health care, and how those processes vary across gay, lesbian, and heterosexual unions. She is the past editor of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior andcurrentChair of the Medical Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association. Dr. Umberson is an elected Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, the 2015 recipient of the Matilda White Riley Distinguished Scholar Award from the American Sociological Association's Section on Aging and the Life Course and the 2016 recipient of the Leonard I. Pearlin Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Sociological Study of Mental Health from the American Sociological Association's Section on Mental Health. In her newest research, she focuses on black/white differences in exposure to the death of family members across the life course and the implications for long-term health and mortality disparities.

Professor Umberson participates in the Population Research Center's Primary Research Areas and lab meetings for (1) Population Health and (2) Demography: Family and Intergenerational Relationships.

Courses

SOC 395G • Gender And Health

45660 • Spring 2017
Meets M 3:00PM-6:00PM CLA 2.706

SOC 397D • Publishing Papers In Sociology

44810 • Fall 2015
Meets TH 3:00PM-6:00PM CLA 3.214F

This course is designed for graduate students with an interest in publishing and reviewing research in the area of sociology of health and illness. This course addresses: (1) how to write and publish an article in an academic journal, (2) the review process and instruction on how to review articles for scholarly journals, and (3) special topics related to the editorial process.

Goals:

Deepen substantive expertise with immersion in the most recent cutting edge research in medical sociology.

Engage in critical and constructive discussion of the field of medical sociology.

Develop skills and knowledge to facilitate the successful submission of a research article for editorial review and publication. Learn what reviewers are looking for in a research article.

Develop skills that qualify you to evaluate and review articles for scholarly journals.

Learn about the editorial process involved in publishing research articles in Journal of Health & Social Behavior (JHSB).

Help to shape and improve JHSB as a print and online mechanism for disseminating cutting edge research on the sociology of health.

This course may be taken for a grade, pass/fail, or by audit. Please contact the instructor if you would like to have additional information: umberson@prc.utexas.edu

MISSION STATEMENT OF JHSB

The Journal of Health and Social Behavior is a medical sociology journal that publishes empirical and theoretical articles that apply sociological concepts and methods to the understanding of health and illness and the organization of medicine and health care. Its editorial policy favors manuscripts that are grounded in important theoretical issues in medical sociology or the sociology of mental health and that advance our theoretical understanding of the processes by which social factors and human health are interrelated.JHSB GRAD STUDENT EDITORIAL BOARD

Individual Editorial Assignments

Web/Pod Editor

Podcast Editor

Graphics Editor

Policy Brief Editor

Social Media Editor

Abstracts Editor

Teaching Contents Editor

Copy Editor

Editor In Chief

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Final grades will be based on:

Weekly participation and journal development: 25%

Editorial reviews: 25%

Research paper: 50%

SOC 389K • Training Smnr In Demography

45155 • Spring 2015
Meets F 10:00AM-12:00PM CLA 3.106

The focus of this training seminar is professional socialization—how to get through graduate school and to construct a rewarding career path in population research. We will spend the semester participating in activities and discussions aimed at providing concrete, practical advice and assistance for getting ahead. Evaluation (credit/no credit) will be based on attendance and participation (note: attendance at the PRC brown bag series is required of all students).

Readings

None

Grading

100% of the grade is based on attendance and participation

SOC 397D • Publishing Papers In Sociology

46690 • Spring 2014
Meets W 12:00PM-3:00PM CLA 1.302A

This course is designed for graduate students with an interest in publishing and reviewing research in peer-reviewed sociology journals. This course addresses: (1) how to write and publish an article in an academic journal, (2) the review process and instruction on how to review articles for scholarly journals, and (3) special topics related to the editorial process.

SOC 308 • Intro To Health And Society

46090 • Fall 2013
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM CLA 0.130

This course offers a broad multidisciplinary overview that introduces students to the study of health and society. Basic topics include health patterns, health behavior, medical care, and health policy in social, demographic, cultural, economic, political, and ethical contexts. Basic methodological approaches to studying these topics will be covered. This course will include guest lectures by representatives of various disciplines. This course is a requirement for the new college of liberal arts major in Health and Society (HS) which is scheduled to launch in fall, 2014.

Three in-class exams. Format will include multiple choice questions and short answer or essay questions. Each exam is worth 100 points.

Essay assignment. Five page, double-spaced essay to address the question: “What is the cause of obesity in America: Society or man?” Students will view the movie SuperSize Me and read three related articles that represent an alternate point of view. The essay will summarize and compare these viewpoints in addressing the key question. Essay is worth 100 points.

SOC 397D • Publishing Papers In Sociology

46025 • Spring 2013
Meets W 12:00PM-3:00PM CLA 1.302F

This course is designed for graduate students with an interest in publishing and reviewing research in the area of sociology of health and illness. This course addresses: (1) how to write and publish an article in an academic journal, (2) the review process and instruction on how to review articles for scholarly journals, and (3) special topics related to the editorial process.

Goals:

Deepen substantive expertise with immersion in the most recent cutting edge research in medical sociology.

Engage in critical and constructive discussion of the field of medical sociology.

Develop skills and knowledge to facilitate the successful submission of a research article for editorial review and publication. Learn what reviewers are looking for in a research article.

Develop skills that qualify you to evaluate and review articles for scholarly journals.

Learn about the editorial process involved in publishing research articles in Journal of Health & Social Behavior (JHSB).

Prepare your own paper for editorial review. This will include the opportunity to have the student editorial board review your paper and discuss the paper in class.

This course may be taken for a grade, pass/fail, or by audit. Please contact the instructor if you would like to have additional information: umberson@prc.utexas.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTIONThis course is designed for graduate students with an interest in publishing and reviewing research in the area of sociology of health and illness. This course addresses: (1) how to write and publish an article in an academic journal, (2) the review process and instruction on how to review articles for scholarly journals, and (3) special topics related to the editorial process.

Goals:

Deepen substantive expertise with immersion in the most recent cutting edge research in medical sociology.

Engage in critical and constructive discussion of the field of medical sociology.

Develop skills and knowledge to facilitate the successful submission of a research article for editorial review and publication. Learn what reviewers are looking for in a research article.

Develop skills that qualify you to evaluate and review articles for scholarly journals.

Learn about the editorial process involved in publishing research articles in Journal of Health & Social Behavior (JHSB).

Help to shape and improve JHSB as a print and online mechanism for disseminating cutting edge research on the sociology of health.

This course may be taken for a grade, pass/fail, or by audit. Please contact the instructor if you would like to have additional information: umberson@prc.utexas.edu

MISSION STATEMENT OF JHSB

The Journal of Health and Social Behavior is a medical sociology journal that publishes empirical and theoretical articles that apply sociological concepts and methods to the understanding of health and illness and the organization of medicine and health care. Its editorial policy favors manuscripts that are grounded in important theoretical issues in medical sociology or the sociology of mental health and that advance our theoretical understanding of the processes by which social factors and human health are interrelated.

JHSB GRAD STUDENT EDITORIAL BOARD

Individual Editorial Assignments

Web/Pod Editor

Podcast Editor

Graphics Editor

Policy Brief Editor

Social Media Editor

Abstracts Editor

Teaching Contents Editor

Copy Editor

Editor In Chief

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Final grades will be based on:

Weekly participation and journal development: 25%

Editorial reviews: 25%

Research paper: 50%

Weekly participation and journal development:

Journal development. Share responsibility for one of JHSB’s major online or print areas, such as development of policy briefs, abstracting, graphics and images, teaching resources, web development, media coverage, development of social media, strategizing for reduced review time and increasing journal visibility and impact.

Prepare reviews of article submissions to supplement those of experts in the field. Students should expect to review 4 to 5 articles over the course the semester (approximately one article every two to three weeks).

Prepare a research paper for editorial review:

Prepare your own paper for editorial review. This can be a new paper or a paper that has already been reviewed by a journal. The goal is to revise your paper, submit it for publication, and to have your article accepted for publication. The course is designed to demystify the review process and convey the ingredients for success in publishing your work. You will be benefit from editorial review (by your classmates) and concrete suggestions for revising your paper.

FRIENDLY REMINDERS

Deadlines. The course functions as both an academic seminar and as a working editorial board. We will often be working under tight deadline pressure and we will often disagree about the appropriate course of action.

Confidentiality. What happens in seminar, stays in seminar -- students must keep authors’ names, reviewers’ names and other identifying information strictly confidential.

Grading. You will be evaluated on the basis of your overall contributions to the seminar and to JHSB. You may take the course on a pass/fail or letter-grade basis.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONThis course is designed for graduate students with an interest in publishing and reviewing research in the area of sociology of health and illness. This course addresses: (1) how to write and publish an article in an academic journal, (2) the review process and instruction on how to review articles for scholarly journals, and (3) special topics related to the editorial process.

Goals:

Deepen substantive expertise with immersion in the most recent cutting edge research in medical sociology.

Engage in critical and constructive discussion of the field of medical sociology.

Develop skills and knowledge to facilitate the successful submission of a research article for editorial review and publication. Learn what reviewers are looking for in a research article.

Develop skills that qualify you to evaluate and review articles for scholarly journals.

Learn about the editorial process involved in publishing research articles in Journal of Health & Social Behavior (JHSB).

Help to shape and improve JHSB as a print and online mechanism for disseminating cutting edge research on the sociology of health.

This course may be taken for a grade, pass/fail, or by audit. Please contact the instructor if you would like to have additional information: umberson@prc.utexas.edu

MISSION STATEMENT OF JHSB

The Journal of Health and Social Behavior is a medical sociology journal that publishes empirical and theoretical articles that apply sociological concepts and methods to the understanding of health and illness and the organization of medicine and health care. Its editorial policy favors manuscripts that are grounded in important theoretical issues in medical sociology or the sociology of mental health and that advance our theoretical understanding of the processes by which social factors and human health are interrelated.

JHSB GRAD STUDENT EDITORIAL BOARD

Individual Editorial Assignments

Web/Pod Editor

Podcast Editor

Graphics Editor

Policy Brief Editor

Social Media Editor

Abstracts Editor

Teaching Contents Editor

Copy Editor

Editor In Chief

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Final grades will be based on:

Weekly participation and journal development: 25%

Editorial reviews: 25%

Research paper: 50%

Weekly participation and journal development:

Journal development. Share responsibility for one of JHSB’s major online or print areas, such as development of policy briefs, abstracting, graphics and images, teaching resources, web development, media coverage, development of social media, strategizing for reduced review time and increasing journal visibility and impact.

Prepare reviews of article submissions to supplement those of experts in the field. Students should expect to review 4 to 5 articles over the course the semester (approximately one article every two to three weeks).

Prepare a research paper for editorial review:

Prepare your own paper for editorial review. This can be a new paper or a paper that has already been reviewed by a journal. The goal is to revise your paper, submit it for publication, and to have your article accepted for publication. The course is designed to demystify the review process and convey the ingredients for success in publishing your work. You will be benefit from editorial review (by your classmates) and concrete suggestions for revising your paper.

FRIENDLY REMINDERS

Deadlines. The course functions as both an academic seminar and as a working editorial board. We will often be working under tight deadline pressure and we will often disagree about the appropriate course of action.

Confidentiality. What happens in seminar, stays in seminar -- students must keep authors’ names, reviewers’ names and other identifying information strictly confidential.

Grading. You will be evaluated on the basis of your overall contributions to the seminar and to JHSB. You may take the course on a pass/fail or letter-grade basis.

Lodge, Amy C. and Debra Umberson. (forthcoming). “Sexual Intimacy among Mid to Later Life Couples.” To appear in Couple Relationships in Mid and Late Life: Current Perspectives, edited by J. Bookwala. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

*Reczek, Corinne, Mieke B. Thomeer, Amy C. Lodge, Debra Umberson, and Megan Underhill (2014). “Diet and Exercise in Parenthood: A Social Control Perspective.” Journal of Marriage and Family 76: 1047-1062

*Sasson, Isaac and Debra Umberson (2014). “Widowhood and Depression: New Light on Gender Differences, Selection, and Psychological Adjustment.” The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 69(1):135-145.

*Lodge, Amy and Debra Umberson. (2012). “All Shook Up: Sexuality of Mid to Later Life Married Couples.” Journal of Marriage and Family 74:428-443.

*Umberson, Debra, Hui Liu, John Mirowsky and Corinne Reczek (2011). “Parenthood and Trajectories of Change in Body Weight over the Life Course.” Social Science and Medicine 73:1323-1331.PMCID: PMC3391503

*Umberson, Debra and Jennifer Karas Montez (2010). “Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Public Policy.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 51: S54-S66. PMCID: PMC3150158

Elliott, Sinnika and Debra Umberson (2003). “Families in the United States: Demographic Trends and Current Debates.” In J.L. Scott, J.K. Treas, and M. Richards (editors), The Blackwell Companion to Sociology of the Family. Blackwell Publishers, Oxford.

*Anderson, Kristin and Debra Umberson (2001). “Gendering Violence: Masculinity and Power in Men’s Accounts of Domestic Violence.” Gender and Society 15: 358-380. Reprinted in Feminist Perspectives on the Study and Practice of Social Research (Pp. 251-270), edited by S. Hesse-Biber and M. Yaiser, Oxford University Press, 2004. Reprinted in In Their Own Words: Criminals on Crime(5th ed.), edited by Paul Cromwell, Oxford University Press, 2010. Reprinted in The Kaleidoscope of Gender (3rd ed.), edited by Joan Spade and Catherine Valentine. Sage, 2010.

*Umberson, Debra and Toni Terling (1997). "The Symbolic Meaning of Relationships: Implications for Psychological Distress Following Relationship Loss." Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 14:723-744.

*Umberson, Debra, Meichu D. Chen, James S. House, Kristine Hopkins and Ellen Slaten (1996). "Social Relationships and their Effects on Psychological Well-being: Are Men and Women Really So Different?" American Sociological Review 61:836-856.

Umberson, Debra (1996). "Demographic Position and Stressful Mid-life Events: Effects on the Quality of Parent/child Relationships." Pp. 493-531 in When Children Grow Up: Development and Diversity in Mid-Life Parenting, edited by Carol D. Ryff, Marsha M. Seltzer, and M. Mailick. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

*Umberson, Debra (1995). "Marriage as Support or Strain? Marital Quality Following the Death of a Parent." Journal of Marriage and the Family 57:709-723.